HUNTSVILLE, Ala.—Junior forward Sabrina Brandon (Danville, Illinois) scored a game-high 18 points and grabbed eight rebounds as the University of Southern Indiana women’s basketball team toppled the University of Alabama-Huntsville, 60-48, in its season-opener Monday evening at Spragins Hall.

USI (1-0) jumped out to a 6-0 lead and never looked back as the Screaming Eagles took a 30-16 lead into the break. Brandon and freshman guard/forward Marshay Jolly (Merrillville, Indiana) each scored 10 points to lead the Eagles in the opening period.

UAH (0-1) cut the Eagles lead to 11 early in the second half, but USI used a 15-6 run later in the second period to extend its lead to 47-27 with 8:29 left in the contest.

The Chargers cut the lead to 10 late in the game, but could not get any closer as the Eagles won their second straight season-opener and their ninth in the last 11 years.

For the game, USI had three players finish with double-digits in the scoring column. Jolly finished with 13 points and junior guard Tiara Brown (Normal, Illinois) had 11 points to go with eight rebounds and four assists.

Junior forward Ashley Green (Otterbein, Indiana) had a game and career-high 11 rebounds and five assists as the Eagles finished the contest with a 53-30 rebounding advantage.

USI dominated the paint, outscoring the Chargers 36-20 in the game.

Defensively, USI held UAH to just 30 percent shooting from the field, including a 20.8 percent clip in the first half.

The Eagles will open their 2004-05 home schedule Sunday when they host Calumet College of St. Joseph’s at 2 p.m. Admission is free to anyone wearing a red shirt.